Bowling pin elevator



Dec. 21, w, BLAlR BOWLING PIN ELEVATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15,1949 m w M 2 m M w ,,..1,J5 p k AWE/N54 Q n 5 5% z wi p 2 7 MW v1attorneys Dec. 21, 1954 w. BLAlR 2,697,604

BOWLING PIN ELEVATOR Filed Nov. 15, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.4.

nnentor 1 attornegs United States Patent BOWLING PIN ELEVATOR WalterBlair, Detroit, Mich.

Appiication November 15, 1949, Serial No. 127,441

8 Ciaims. (Cl. 273-43) This invention relates to bowling pin settingmachines, and, in particular, to pin orienting and elevating apparatusfor such machines.

Heretofore, bowling pin elevators have been provided for conveying thebowling pins from the pit of the bowling alley to a distributor which inturn allocates the elevated pins either directly to a pin-setter or to apin tray which so delivers them. Such prior pin elevators anddistributors, however, have been either exceptionally complicated inconstruction and operation or, if not unusually complicated, wereinadequate to their task. Certain of these distributors, for example,have contained multiple pin-receiving tubes with cam-operated gates soarranged as to permit only one pin at a time to drop downward, therebypreventing pins from piling up in the pin-setter or pin tray, as thecase may be. In spite of the preventive mechanisms, in prior pindistributors it has been found that occasionally one pin would bedeposited on top of another in the pin tray or pin distributor, whereasupon other occasions, there would be no pin at all in one of the spaceswhich should be occupied by a pin.

One object of the present invention is to provide a bowling pinorienting and elevating apparatus which will insure that the pins areengaged and lifted upward from the pit of the alley, with each pin inits proper position of being grasped by the neck with its butt downwardand conveyed in this position upward to the upper part of the machine.

Another object is to provide a bowling pin orienting and elevatingapparatus wherein the pins will always be picked up by their necks fromthe pit of the alley and, if the butt of a 'pin is presented to theelevator, the latter by self-contained mechanism, will automaticallyinvert the pin and present it properly.

Another object is to provide a bowling pin orienting and elevatingapparatus of the foregoing character, wherein the pin pickup fingers onthe elevator are arranged in rows which are oblique to the path oftravel of the elevator, so that the pins will arrive one by one at thetop of the machine and will accordingly be dropped one by one into thereceiving chutes through which they are carried downward to theremaining portions of the machine.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a bowling pinorienting and elevating apparatus, according to one form of theinvention;

Figure 2 is an approximately vertical section through the machine ofFigure 1, taken along the zigzag line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an approximately horizontal section taken along the line 33in Figure 2 showing details of the pin pickup fingers and Figure 4 is anenlarged fragmentary side elevation of the lower portion of Figure 1,showing the action of the pin tumbling fingers in inverting a pin whichhas been presented butt downward.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 shows diagrammatically abowling alley, generally designated 10, equipped with an automatic pinsetting machine, generally designated 11 and for the most part shownonly diagrammatically in order to simplify the showing. Forming a partof the machine 11 is the bowling pin orienting and elevating apparatus12 of the present invention. The remainder of the machine falls outsidethe scope of the present invention, and it is understood that;

. in my co-pending application previously referred to.

2,697,604 Patented Dec. 21, 1954 the pin elevator of the presentinvention may be employed with many different types of conventionalpinsetting machines. One machine with which the present elevator 12 maybe employed is disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application SerialNo. 81,087 filed March 12, 1949 for Automatic Bowling Pin SettingMachine.

The bowling alley 10 is of any conventional type with the usual bed 13upon the rearward end of which the bowling pins P are spotted, the alleybed 13 being supported by side members 14 and cross members 15 extendingtherebetween. A pit bottom or floor 16 is inclined downwardly from therearward end 17 of the alley 10 into the pit 18. The latter forms thepin-receiving space behind the bed 13, and receives the fallen pins ordead wood which are either knocked or swept off the alley 10 by a pinsweeping mechanismnot shown herein but shown in my above-mentionedco-pending application Serial No. 81,087. Omitted from the presentdrawings are the ball retrieving mechanism and the backstop or backboardfor preventing the balls or pins from hitting and possibly damaging thepin-elevating mechanism.

The pin setting machine 11 is purposely shown in a fragmentary formsince the units not forming a part of the present invention may be foundin prior patents or It is therefore sufficient for the purposes of thepresent invention to state that the pin-setting machine 11 includes aframework 19 having upright members 20, 21 and 22 and cross members 23to 39 inclusive. The frame 19 is also provided with longitudinal members40 to 43 inclusive.

Mounted upon a platform 44 extending between the upright frame members20 and 21 (Figure 1) is a reciprocatin motor 45 including a cylinder 46rising from the platform 44, the lower end of which is supplied withpressure fluid, such as compressed air, through a supply pipe 47.Reciprocable vertically in the cylinder 46 is a piston 48, to the lowerend of which is secured the pin-setter proper, generally designated 49,this being shown only diagrammatically. Such a pin-setter ordinarilycontains pin-gripping devices of various types which grasp the pins bytheir heads or necks so as to lift them upward in order to sweep thealley of fallen pins or deadwood. The pin-setter 49 is provided with oneor more guide arms 50 which slidably engage one or more vertical guiderods 51 so as to guide the pinsetter 49 as it is raised and lowered bythe pressure fluid motor 45.

In order to supply the pin-setter 49 with pins disposed in their usualtriangular relationship, a pin tray unit 52 is also ordinarily provided.This unit is also shown only diagrammatically, a complete unit beingshown in my afore-mentioned co-pending application. The pin tray 52 forthe purposes of the present invention may be I said to consist of aroughly triangular block 53 having secured to the rearward end of theblock 53 and reciprocated by a pneumatic cylinder and piston (notshown). The tray 52 receives the pins from the pin delivery unit,generally designated 60, to which the pins are allocated by a rotarydistributor 61. The latter in turn receives the pins from apin-receiving unit 62 to which the pins are supplied by the pin elevator12.

Pin elevator construction The pin elevator 12 consists of a plurality ofendless conveyor chains 63 which at their opposite ends are trained overupper and lower sprockets 64 and 65 relaterally-spaced elongated bars-(Figures 2 and 3) in forward and rearward .rows respectively.The.guide-mem--- bers 66 and 66a are secured to the frame cross members32, 34, 36, 37, and 39. Bolted or otherwise secured to the frame,crosszmember .3l...are. -the..forward ends of laterally-spacedinclined.pin ejector cams -67:-.ex-tending downwardly andrearwardly :therefromintovethet paths, .of; travel .of ;the heads. of the. .bowling pins.-.Pas;they..are= carried upwardt by the .conveyorchains 63 -('Figur e.--1).- There areumultiple.endlessehains ,63 employed in--the machine,seven being a convenient number for eflicient: operation (Figures 2 and,3).

Each: of the endlessselevator chains-634s provided; with twin-fingered:multiple. bowling pin neckgraspers having pick-up fingers. 68 arrangedinfnarrowly spq fifid pairs with said fingers spaced apart wider. thanthe;;pinneck diameter but, narrower than. thepinhead diameter, andinterspersed alternately between twin-armed-multiple pm invertershaving. pin-inverting-fingers -69 .-which .are-.

arranged in broadly-spaced pairs. Thepin pickup fingers n 68 and 69 ofeach'pair project forwardly on opposite. sides .of their respectiveguidemembers -66-and 66a and. are thus guided thereby .(FiguresQ and 3).."lThefingers 69 are -spaced far enough .aparttoCOmP16Cly'-.168I,":thehead andneckof a bowling pin P, but are spaced.slight-1y closertogether .thanthe buttdiameter .of the bowling pins- P,as shown by the dotted pin P and the adjacent fingers 69 .near .the.upper portion;- of Figure-.3. The {ac ion 1 these pin-inverting fingers69 and pickup fingers68 is-more fully set .forth below inconnectionwiththe-operation of the elevator.

Co-operatingwith the pairs offingers'68 and-69gand arranged ,to push offanypins which may be picked -up horizontally on the pairs of fingers .68and 69' and carried-upward transversely of the alley, arepin ejectorcams :70 and .71 placed immediately (adjacent xbutaoutside; the paths oftravel of the fingers of each pair of fingers 68tor69. These.are roughlytriangular in shape-(Figure Hand are positioned between the chains 63so. as to-eject any p ns-carried horizontally upward, as stated above.The .pin piekupfingers. 68. and..the. pin-inverting tfingel'fi .695 arearrangedsin sets, the pair ,of ,fingers ,of-- -each; set being disposedin echelon, namely inrows which are inclined obliquely to.- the path-oftravel of zthe. chains 63 (Figure 2'). This oblique or,echelonarrangement 1of-thefingers 68 insures that only-one pin-at :a time-willarrive at the top. of the machine and that .two or more pinsuwill neverarrive there simultaneously.

Inorder tofurther. agitate the pins: P in case theycome torest.crosswiseof thezpit .18 atthe lower endof the bottom.16, the. elevator'12 isadditionallyprovided with pin agitators, generally designated 72(Figures '1, 3 ands-4). The pin agitators 72..consist of short-endlesschains 73 trained around upper and lower sprockets 74 and. 75respectively (Figure 4), these in turn being mounted on shafts 76:and 77respectively. The shaft 77 also carries the.lower sprockets65,whereas-the upper sprockets 64 are carried on. across-shaft 78. Theshafts 76, 77 and 78'are suitably journaled -in-bearings 79, 80' and. 81respectively (Figure.2). Mounted at-intervals along the agitatorchains'73'are agitator rods 82 which pass through slots-83 in thelower-end of the pit bottom- The pit bottom 16-is also provided withlaterally spaced recesses or slots '84 whichare'locatedimmediatelyadjacent'the fingers68 and -69 of-the elevatorchains63. These are-wider than the 'headsofthe'bowling pins P butnarrower than the-butts thereof. Disposed in each recess or slot 84is'agbowling pin guide-85 roughly resembling a numeral 7 (Figure 4),these beingfastened'to cross members-'86 and 87 res 'Jectively beneaththe pit bottornzl6tat its :lower end. The'guide bars 66 are -providedwith vertical elongated slots; 88vfor-the-passage of the agitator rods82"(Figure2) and thebars'66 themselves are spaced apartffromxoneanothera-sufiicient distance for the passage of the pairs of fingers 68 and 69.The chains 63 and'73 are driven by a belt or other endless drivingmember 89- (Figures '1 and 2') encircling a pulley orwheel 90 on theshaft 77 and likewise passingaround a-pulley-91 on the armature shaft 92of a drivingmotor 93. The latter is'mounted upon a shelf'94-boltedto theframe uprights-22.

The pin receivingunit 62Econsists ofa'conduit assembly arranged roughlyin the shape of a seven'branched candlestick and having individualvertical pipes 95 whose upper ends are cut away at their sides, as at95a. The pipes 95 extend. downward. to. downwardly inclined headers 96which converge toward a common spout 97. The latter opens into the upperflared end 98 of the distributor pipe 99 forming a part of the rotarypin distributor 61. The pipe 99 at its lower end is mounted on the outerend of an arm 100, the inner end of which is mounted upon a shaft 101coaxial with the spout 97 and journaled in an upper platform 102. Theshaft 101 on its lower end j carries .a. sprocket 103 encircled by asprocket chain 104 which is moved step-by-step by mechanism, such asthat shown in my copending application, Serial No. 81,087 previouslyreferred to. The lower end 105 of the pipe 99 passes through an aperturein the arm and moves successively overthe upper ends of pin deliverypipes 106 arranged in a circular path around the upper platform 102. Thedelivery pipes 106 are bent in such a manner that their lower ends arearranged in lwusualr ngul p rn: h Qh thep -2 cs=upy when properlyarranged .upon the alley, the lower. ends of the pipes 106 being mountedin apertures arranged in:

this triangular ipattern pon the lower platform 107 The lower platform107 is suppprtedby the;frame cross members 25 and 26. and thelongitudinal members 43,.and the lower ends of the delivery.pipes 106open immediately over the pin. pockets 54in the pin tray 52.

Operation The operation of a complete machine and electrical circuitcontrolling the machinehas been described in my above-mentionedco-pending application Serial No. 81,087 filedlVlarch 12, 1949. Thedescription of the present unit will, thereforebe confined so far aspossible,

while, the motor 93phasbeen operating.;so as .,to move.

the pin operating or conveying chain's 63apd he tumbling chains 73 intheir respectiveorbital paths.

As the pins fall into the pit 18, they slide. down .the inclined bottom16 to the, lower edge thereof adjacent the lower end of'the pin elevator1'2; The. pins will naturally fall. and come to rest in differentpositions. Some willcome to rest in the recesses 84'with theirheadsdownward, as shown by the dotted lines .in Figure 1, While others willlie with their butts downward, as shown in Figures 3 and ,4. Stillothers will= lie cro sswise of the alley, and some may even landcrosswise just. in time. to be picked up by the fingers 68 .and 69. Ifthe pins fall head foremost in .the desired position ,shown in Figure l,the closely spaced pairs of .fingers 68 will reach in under the head ofthe pin P and grasp it; by the neck immediately below the head, carryingit upward as shown by thesuccessive views in Figures land-2. Whenthepin. thus elevated, arrives at the top of its travel, its.headencounters one of the inclined ejector cams67, which pushes the pin offthe fingers 6 8 so,that it entersthe cutaway-portion 95a of the pipe 95and drops downward through the pipe 95 into the common header 96 andthence through one of the delivery pipes 106 into one of the pockets 54of the pin tray 52;

Since the pin pickup fingers 68 are staggered in their.

positions on their respective chains 63, so that each row thereof is inan inclined line (Figure 2), only one pair of-pickup fingers 68 arrivesat the top of the machine at any given time, hence only one pin at atime can be dropped into any of the pipes 9 5, Consequently, the dangerof one-pindropping upon another is completely eliminated and thenecessity forprovidingmechanism for preventing such an occprrence islikewise obviated. Even if the ideal conditions occurred-whereinpinsfell head downward in each of the recesses or pockets 34 over the entirewidth of the machine, the-pins P would still be picked up in succession,as shown by the dotted lines at the topof Figure 2 and pushedoff theirrespective pickup fingers 68 in succession as they-successivelyencounter the earns 67.

If, as is ordinarily the case, someof the pins come to rest but downward(Figure 4), these must be inverted into the head down position shown inFigure 1 in order to be properly picked up, and in order to avoid theirbeing dropped head down into the pipes 95. The pickup fingers 68 areonly wide enough to grasp the narrowest portions of the pins, namely thenecks thereof, and neither the head nor the butt of the pin will passbetween these fingers. The pin-inverting fingers 69, however, are spacedmuch farther apart (Figure 3), but, although they will permit the necksand heads of the pins to pass be tween them, they are too close togetherto pass the butts of the pins. Accordingly, they engage the butts of thepins on opposite sides as shown in the upper portion of Figure 3 and inFigure 4. As the chain 63 continues to move upward, it carries with itthe pin-inverting fingers 69 and these raise the butt of the pin P(Figure 4) while the head thereof slides downward along the guide 85until it reaches the bottom thereof, whereupon the pin P is toppled overwith its butt uppermost and resting against the upper end of the guide85. The next pair of pin pickup fingers 68 which comes along willtherefore grasp the now inverted pin immediately beneath its neck and.

convey it upward, as shown in Figure 1, until the fixed cam 67 pushes itoff the fingers 68 into the cutaway portion 95a of the pipe 95, asbefore.

Other pins, however, will come to rest transversely of the alley at thelower edge of the pit bottom. The pin agitating rods 82 now come intoplay to tumble these pins and rearrange them lengthwise of the alleypit. The pins are engaged by the rods 82 as these are moved in orbitalpaths by the endless chains 73 (Figures 1 and 3), and any pin of which aportion projects into the gap 83 traversed by any of these rods 82iseither pushed to one side or is bodily tumbled until it finally comes torest lengthwise of the pit 18.

If, finally, one of the pins P comes to rest crosswise of the alley pitimmediately above a pair of approaching fingers 68 or 69 before it canbe acted upon by one of the tumbling rods 82, the pin may possibly becarried upward while it is resting crosswise on these fingers. It cannotmove for upward, however, before it encounters one of the pin ejectorcams 70 or 71 which are placed immediately adjacent but outside the pathof travel of the fingers of each pair of fingers 68 or 69 where theywill not interfere with the lifting of a pin in its desired position butwhere they will intercept a pin lying crosswise and projecting laterallybeyond each pair of the fingers 68 or 69. The pin, upon engaging the cam71 or 70, is immediately pushed off the fingers 68 or 69 and drops backinto the pit 18 and falls to the lower edge of the pit bottom 16, asbefore. In this manner, all of the pins P eventually become positionedwith their heads and necks downward and their butts upward, as shown inFigure 1, and in this position they are easily picked up by the pinpickup fingers 68 and carried upward, as shown in Figure 1.

As each pin is carried upward and is ejected from the pin elevator 12 byits respective fixed cam 67, it drops downward into its respective pipe95 and is transferred by the pin distributor pipe 99 and one of the pindelivery pipes 106 to one of the pockets 54 of the pin tray 52. The pindistributor pipe 99 is rotated step-by-step as each pin descends so thateach pocket of the pin tray 52 is filled. A further refinement, omittedfrom Figure 1, but shown in my above-mentioned co-pending applicationSerial No. 81,087 provides a movable gate at the bottom end of each pindelivery pipe 106, this gate being opened and closed by the controlmechanism and control circuit. The circuit is so arranged that thedistributor 99 can make two revolutions step-by-step, one revolution tofill each of the ten pockets 54 of the pin tray 52 and the otherrevolution to fill each of the delivery pipes 106, these pins being heldin the pipes by the closing of the gates at their lower ends. When thedistributor pipe 99 completes its second revolution, it actuates a limitswitch which causes it to halt automatically and likewise causes themotor 93 to halt temporarily. This prevents two pins from beingdeposited one on top of the other. The disclosure of these refinementsis unnecessary for the purposes of the present invention and hence isomitted for the sake of simplicity of showing.

The action of the pin-spotting unit 49 in moving upward or downwardeither to pick up the standing pins on the alley or to pick up acomplete set of pins from the tray 52 when it is advanced to its forwardposition. is likewise beyond the scope of the present invention, and

a complete description thereof will be found in my abovementionedco-pending application, Serial No. 81,087. The pin tumbling rods 82 andchains 73 as well as the pin guides 85 and recesses 84 are claimed inthis same co-pending application.

In the present application, the pin pickup fingers 68 have been shownand described (Figure 2) as arranged in echelon or in rows oblique tothe direction of travel of their respective elevator chains 63, thisbeing for the purpose of insuring that only one pin will arrive at oneof the pin ejector cams 67 at a given instant. The purpose of thisarrangement is to prevent more than one pin from dropping down throughthe pipes into the spout 97 at a given time, thereby preventing thepossibility of two pins attempting to enter the same delivery pipe 106or pocket 54 in the pin tray 52. It will be obvious, however, that thesame purpose is accomplished by staggering the pin pickup fingers 68 inany manner so long as two pairs of fingers never lie at the samehorizontal level. Thus, this staggering of the fingers 68 will likewiseprevent more than one pin from arriving at the top of the machine at theejector cams 67 at any given moment.

The same purpose is accomplished by placing all of the fingers 68 ofeach group side by side in horizontal rows and placing the inletopenings 95a and pin ejector cams 67 in inclined or staggered positionscrosswise of the machine so that each pin would again be ejected at adifferent time even though a row of pins might be carried upward on thesame level. The essential purpose accomplished by all of thesearrangements is to insure that only one pin is ejected by an ejector cam67 at a given time and, from the foregoing remarks, it is obvious thatthis can be accomplished in the several ways stated above withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for orienting and elevating bowling pins from a bowlingalley pit to a bowling pin receiver disposed above said pit, saidapparatus comprising a frame, an endless bowling pin elevating conveyormounted in an approximately upright position on said frame and extendingbetween said pit and said pin receiver, a multiplicity oflaterally-spaced endless rows of twin-fingered each grasper havingneck-engaging fingers spaced apart from one another a distance widerthan the pin neck diameter but narrower than the pin head diameter,twinfingered pin inverters disposed in each of said rows of pin neckgraspers and interspersed therebetween on said conveyor, each pininverter having pin butt engaging fingers spaced apart from one anothera distance wider than the pin head diameter but narrower than the pinbutt diameter, and a multiplicity of pin rests arranged side by sideadjacent said conveyor in the paths of travel of said pin neck graspersand having cutaway portions therein for the passage of said pin neckgrasper fingers.

2. An apparatus for orienting and elevating bowling pins from a bowlingalley pit to a bowling pin receiver disposed above said pit, saidapparatus comprising a frame, an endless bowling pin elevating conveyormounted in an approximately upright position on said frame and extendingbetween said pit and said pin receiver, a multiplicity oflaterally-spaced endless rows of twinfingered pin neck graspers mountedon said conveyor, the graspers in each row being disposed at intervalsspaced apart from one another in the path of travel of said conveyor,each grasper having pin neck engaging fingers spaced apart from oneanother a distance wider than the pin neck diameter but narrower thanthe pin head diameter, twin-fingered pin inverters disposed in each ofsaid rows of pin neck graspers and interspersed therebetween on saidconveyor, each pin inverter having pin butt engaging fingers spacedapart from one another a distance wider than the pin head diameter butnarrower than the pin butt diameter, a multiplicity of pin restsarranged side by side adjacent said conveyor in the paths of travel ofsaid pin neck graspers and having cutaway portions therein for thepassage of said pin neck grasper fingers. and a rearwardly inclined pitbottom disposed in said pit and sloping downward from the rearward endof said bowling alley to said pin rests.

3. An apparatus for orienting andelevating bowling pinssfrom: a bowlingalley pit. to a-bowling. pin; receiver disposed .abovesaid pit, said.apparatus comprisinga frame, an. endless .bowling pin .elevatingconveyor mounted in an approximately upright position on said frame andextending between said pit and said. pinreceiver, a multiplicity of.laterally-spaced. endless rows, of twinffingered pin neck graspersmounted on said conveyor, the. graspers in-eachrow being disposed atintervals spaced apart from one another. in the path of. travel of saidconveyor, each grasper'having. pin neck engaging fingers spaced apartfrom one another a distance wider than the pin neck diameterbut'narrower than the pin head diameter, twinfingered pin invertersdisposed in each-of said rows of pin neck graspers andinterspersedtherebetween on said conveyor, each pin inverter having pin buttengaging fingers spaced apartfromnone another a distance wider than thepin head diameter but narrower than the pin butt diameter, and amultiplicity of pin rests arranged side by side adjacentsaid conveyor inthe paths of travel of said-pin neck graspers and having cutawayportions thereinifor the passage of said pin neck grasper fingers, saidpin-.rests being aligned with and inclined downwardly and rearwardlytoward the paths of travel of their respective pinrinverters.

4..An apparatus for orienting and elevating bowling pins from a bowlingalley pit to a bowling pin'receiver disposed above said pit, saidapparatus comprising a frame, an endless bowling pin elevating conveyormounted inan'approximately upright positionon said frame and extendingbetween said pit and said pin receiver, a multiplicity oflaterally-spaced endless rows of twin-fingered pin neck graspers mountedon said conveyor, the graspers in each row being disposed at intervalsspaced apart from oneianother in the path of travel of said conveyor,each grasper having pin neck engaging fingers spaced apart from oneanother a distance wider than the pin neck diameter but narrower thanthe pin head-diameter, twinfingered pin inverters disposed in each ofsaid rows of pin-neck graspers and interspersed therebetween on saidconveyor, each pin inverter having pin butt engaging fingers spacedapart from one another a distance wider than the pin-head diameter butnarrower than'the pin butt diameter, and a multiplicity of pin restsarranged side byside adjacent saidconveyor in the paths of travel ofsaid pin neck graspers and having cutaway portions therein for thepassage of said pin neck grasper fingers, said .pin rests being alignedwith and inclined downwardly and rearwardly toward the paths of travelof their respective pin inverters, each pin rest having an elongatedpinreceiving recess thereinwith an inclined pin guide in the bottomthereof, said pin guides being also inclined downwardly and rearwardlytoward the paths of travel of their respective pin inverters.

An apparatus for orienting and elevating bowling pins from a bowlingalley pit to a bowling pin receiver disposed above said pit, saidapparatus comprising a frame, an endless-bowling pin elevating conveyormounted in anapproximately upright position on said frame and extendingbetween said pit'and said pin receiver, a multiplicity oflaterally-spaced endless rows of twin-fingered pin neck graspers mountedon said conveyor, the graspers in each row being disposed at intervalsspaced apart from one another in the path of travel of said conveyor,each grasper having pin neck engaging fingers spaced apart from-oneanother a distance wider than the pin neck diameter but narrower thanthe pin head diameter, twinfingered pin inverters disposed in each ofsaid rows of pin neck graspers and interspersed therebetween on saidconveyor, each pin inverter having pin butt engaging fingers spacedapart from one another a distance wider than the pin headdiameter butnarrower than the pin butt diameter, and a multiplicity of pin restsarranged side by side adjacent the paths of travel 'of their respectivepin' inverters in the paths of travel of said pin neck graspers andhaving cutaway portions therein for the passage of said pin neck grasperfingers, said pin rests being aligned with and inclined downwardly andrearwardly toward the paths of travel of their respective pin inverters,each pin rest having an elongated pin-receiving recess therein with aninclined'pin guide in the bottom thereof, said pin guides being alsoinclined downwardly and rearwardly toward the paths of travel of theirrespective-said pin inverters and each guide having an upper forwardendportion raised above the level of its lower rearward endlportion.

6. An apparatusz fororienting and "elevating bowling pinsrfrom a bowling'alley 'p'it to-abowliug pin receiver disposed above said pit, saidapparatus comprising a frame, an endless'bowling pin elevating conveyormounted in an approximately upright position on said frame and extendingbetween saidpit and said pin receiver, a'multiplicity oflaterally-spaced endlessrows of twin-fingered pin neck graspers mountedon said conveyor,the graspers in each row being disposed at intervalsspaced apart from one another in the path of travel of said conveyor,each grasper having pin neck engaging fingers spaced-apart from oneanother a distancewider than the pin neck diameter but narrower'than thepin head diameter, a multiplicityof pinrests arranged side by sideadjacent said conveyor in'th'e'paths of travel of said pin neckgraspersand having cutaway portions therein for the passage of'said-pin'neck grasper fingers, and stationary-pin ejector memberssecured to and projecting forwardly from the lower portion ofsaidframebetween said endless rows of pin neck graspers, said ejectormembers being disposed adjacent but outside. the paths of travel oftheir respective :pin sneck graspers.

7. An apparatus for orienting and elevating bowling pins from a bowlingalley pit to. a bowling pin receiver disposed above said pit, saidapparatus comprising a frame, an endless bowling pin elevating conveyormounted in an approximately upright position onsaid frame and extendingbetween said pit and said pin receiver, .a multi-' plicity oflaterally-spaced endless rows of twin-fingered pin neck graspers mountedon 'said conveyor, the graspers in each row being disposed at intervalsspaced apart from one another in-the path of :travel of said conveyor,each grasper having pin neck engaging fingers spaced apart from oneanother a distance wider than the pin neck diameter but narrower: thanthe pin head diameter, a multiplicity of pinrests arranged side by sidein laterallyspaced relationship adjacent said conveyor, said pin restsbeing disposedin the paths oftravel-of said-pin neck graspers and havingcutaway'portions therein for the passage of said pin neck grasperfingers, an upwardlytraveling pin agitator carrier mounted on saidframeunear saidpin rests, and a plurality of upwardly-movablepinagitators disposed on said carrier between said endless rows of pinneckgraspers and having pin-agitating members projectingforwardly intothe spaces between said pin rests.

8. An apparatus for orienting an'd'elevating bowling pins from abowlingalley'pit to a bowling pin receiver disposed above said pit, saidapparatus comprising ,a frame, an endless bowling pin elevatingconveyormounted in an approximately upright position on 'said frame andextending between said pin'and said pin receiver, a multiplicity oflaterally-spaced endless rows of twin-fingered pin neck graspers mountedon said conveyor, the graspers in each row being disposed at intervalsspaced'apart from one another in the-path of travel ofsaid conveyor,each grasper having pin neck engaging fingers spaced apart from oneanother a'distance'wider than the 'pin neck diameter but narrowerthanthe-pin head diameter, a'

multiplicity ofpinrests arranged side by side in laterallyspacedrelationship adjacent'said conveyor, said pin rests beingdisposed in thepathsof'travelof said pin neck graspers and having cutaway portionstherein for the passage of said pin neck grasper fingers, anupwardlytraveling pin agitator carrier mounted on said frame near saidpin rests, and a pluralityof upwardly-movable pinagitators disposed onsaid carrier between said endless rows of pin neck graspers andhaving-pin agitating members projecting forwardly into the spacesbetween said pin rests, said pin agitator carrier including a pair ofvertically-spaced wheels disposed in substantially the same plane androtatable upon substantially parallel axes of rotation, and an endlessflexible member encircling said spaced wheels in an orbital path, saidpin agitating members being secured to said endless flexible member anddisposed substantially in the plane of said wheels.-

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,712,186 White May, 7, 1929' 2,319,925 Flanagan May 25, 19432,341,476 Parraet al Feb. 8, 1944 2,388,708 Bates Nov. 13,1945

